Residential Permaculture Course
We facilitated a two week (live-in) residential course at the end of January 2013, starting on Saturday 19th of January and ending on Saturday 2 February. It was at our place, and accommodation was provided in our farmstay and home, as well as camping. All meals were provided, using our own organic or local produce.
We are planning to repeat the course in 2014.
We were the main tutors. along with Lisa Talbot of Whanganui. Lisa calls herself a human ecologist, and has studied and tutored permaculture and ecology in New Zealand, Australia and Vietnam. She is passionate about gardening (liberating lawns for growing food) and facilitating sustainable community living.
A summary of what the course covered is:
- Guidelines and strategies for healthy and sustainable living.
- Connection to nature and place.
- Observation and recognising nature’s patterns and ecosystems.
- Design methods and presentation.
- Nourishing body, mind and spirit.
- Food – soil to plate.
- Water – essence of life.
- Appropriate tools and buildings.
- Cultural transformation and natural economics.
- Creating resilient and healthy communities.
The course is a recognised permaculture design certificate course by PiNZ, the New Zealand permaculture organisation.
We facilitate these course for all learning styles, as open creative learning. The course includes a variety of design exercises, practical activities, field trips, group and project work, as well as presentations and DVDs.
There is a sliding scale for the cost, which you select from depending on your circumstances, of $2000 to $1700. This includes all meals and on-site camping. For an extra $300 up to six people can stay in our farmstay. This is offered on a first in basis.
There is a $200 discount for early payment. A deposit of $200 is required to confirm your place, with the balance paid at the start of the course. This deposit is non-refundable, unless the course is cancelled.
There is a minimum of 6 to 7 people for the course to run, and a maximum of 15, to ensure the interactive and action learning of a small group.
There is one place available at half the cost in exchange for some course assistance.
Please reply if you are interested, at Contact Us
Modular Permaculture Course
We have facilitated modular courses over weekends for the last 4 years.
This year we are doing a modular course through RECAP in Ashhurst. This course started at the end of February and will finish at the beginning of November 2013.
The modules will be mostly on Saturdays, throughout the year. The introduction in February was a full weekend, as will be the final weekend in November.
The workshops are as follows:
1) Permaculture Principles & Design: 23 Feb
Welcome and introductions; permaculture ethics & principles; general applications of permaculture; ecological principles and design; concepts of sustainability.
2) Landscape & Site Assessment: 24 Feb
Natural patterns and reading the landscape; techniques of observation; measuring and recording land form; sectors & aspect; gathering information of natural conditions and cultural features and requirements; design process (information collection, analysis, options, evaluation and drawing up).
3) Soils: 23 March
Nature of soils and soil structure; soil life and fertility; soil testing (visual assessments & plant indications); soil/plant/animal relationships (nutrient cycles, mixing of air & water); composting; re-vitalisation aids (seaweed, rock dusts, EM, biodynamics etc).
4) Food Gardens: 13 April
Garden layout & design (sun, shelter, access, companion planting, rotation, green manures); garden preparation (digging, mulching, humus build-up); garden types & relationships; plant health & diseases/pests/predators; weed management; seed saving.
5) Culture & Social structures: 11 May
Worldviews, assumptions & identity; personal, social & economic transformation; legal structures, ownership and privilege; function of money, banking & financial systems, alternative currencies; decision-making procedures, social roles and conflict management.
6) Urban Living: 8 June
Healthy & sustainable living in cities; suburban retrofit & reducing your ecological footprint; apartment living first steps; engaging with local communities & councils; subdivision & development; layout and integration of urban areas/activities (community based and adapted to the landscape, transport and service corridors, integrated infrastructure, social services and community facilities).
7) Water & Water harvesting: 29 June
Nature and importance of water; watersheds & hydrological cycles; sources and sediments; purification & treatment (water quality, pollution & re-vitalisation); storage (naturally and in reservoirs); harvesting; uses, multiple use, re-use and conservation.
Tree Gardens & Small Animals: 21 July
Diversity of orchards, food forests, staple crops and small animals; climate and landscape and selecting trees/vines/berries/crops etc for site; layout for needs, guilds, diversity and in relation to facilities; planting & pruning; food forests and ecological principles; orchard management for productivity and plant health, and integration with small animals (bees, poultry, pigs); ecology of plants and animals; management and care of small animals.
9) Air & Climate: 17 August
Nature of the atmosphere (air, life and climate); types of climates, circulation patterns and changing climates; weather (rain, snow & ice, frost, droughts) & micro-climates; air quality, pollution & re-vitalisation; shelter & shade (design & species).
10) Nature’s Abundance & Dynamics: 7 Sept
Natural eco-systems, biomes and changes in climate and landscapes over time; role of forests and grasslands; large animal grazing and soil fertility; grazing management and animal care (water, stock movement, shelter, shade and health); structures (fencing, yards etc); forest types and habitats; services and re-generation; uses and management; coppicing and pruning, thinning; species and spacing; wild foods and herbal medicines. Dynamics of natural processes and large events; hazards (physical, biological/chemical, social and economic) and risk assessment; information about hazards, preparedness and responses.
11) Energy & Technology: 5 Oct
Nature and types of energy; sources of energy; energy analysis (efficiency, life-cycle energy); peak oil and energy descent; approach of science & technology and industrial production; appropriate technology and R principles – refuse, reduce, repair, re-use & recycle; energy and transport alternatives.
12) Shelter & the Built Environment: 2 Nov
Principles of building biology and ecology; orientation & layout for site and surroundings; building design (warmth & ambience, insulation, passive and active systems, storage & heat pumps, sound, light and electro-magnetism); building materials & construction (local earth, straw, timber, embodied energy, toxicity, finishings); services (on-site supply, micro-hydro, wind & solar energy, re-use & recycling, compost toilets, greywater systems etc).
Design Project workshop day at or after end of course.
We are the main tutors with Lisa for this course too, but with local people sharing the tutoring and facilitating of the workshops.
This course is full, but further information is available at the RECAP site RECAP
Workshops
We will be repeating the healthy nutrition workshop again later this year.
THE FARMHOUSE KITCHEN @ MANAKAU, HOROWHENUA
Phillippa Martin www.kohutu.co.nz
Emily Williams www.waterscape.co.nz
The weekend workshop covers the making and using of:
- Yoghurt, kefir, clabbered milk and soft cheese (feta and mozzarella types)
- Sourdough bread and chia chips
- Kombucha
- Lacto fermented vegetables and drinks
- Flavoured vinegars and alcohol
- Chutney, relish, pickle and sauce
- Fruit bottling – overflow and oven methods
- Jam alternatives
- Sprouting, soaking grains and nuts
There will be lots of tasting opportunities as we make these, and also try some other homemade products eg. pickled walnuts, pate, kale chips and juices.
Take home your own starters for yoghurt, kefir, kombucha and sourdough.
Take home samples of some of the products made.
We will discuss nutrient dense food and the importance of good food and water.
Cost covering tuition, ingredients (organic/local as much as possible), folder of recipes, starters and samples is: $290. Maximum 12 participants, minimum numbers also apply
No extra cost for lunches of garden salads, broths, breads etc. and teas.
However if you would like to participate in a healthy but decadent feast on the Saturday night with local chef and renowned entertaining speaker, Sarah Hodge, this will be extra so please enquire.
Each day runs from 9.30 – 4.30
Please reply if you are interested, at Contact Us
